The Strange Case of Rachel K

An explorer's whereabouts keeps a queen in waiting; a faith healer's illegal radio broadcasts give hope to an oppressed people; a president's offer of ice cream surprises a prostitute expecting to cooperate fully - the three short fictions gathered inThe Great Exceptionbuild into a vision of Cuba that is black-humored, brutal, and beautiful. Written prior to the publication of Rachel Kushner's first acclaimed novelTelex From Cuba, these stories, like Roberto Bolano'sAntwerp, burst forth with the genesis of her fictional universe as though fired from a cannon. From the mythical title story, to the ominous "Debouchment" - originally published in her too short-lived journalSoft Targets- to the sexy and noirish "Strange Case of Rachel K," this is Kushner saddling up for a journey into the wilds of the modern novel.